The Firefly's Darkness
by gamegurl mirai
Summary: First RK fanfic-- A lonely geisha has an encounter with Kenshin, only to attempt murder. What's going on? R+R and I'll love you!
1. A Simple Beginning

Hey everyone! I've finally got to typing this up. Hope you like my very first RK fanfic!! ^^  
  
Note: I've only seen the show up to what they play on Cartoon Network, so I'm gonna go easy on myself and NOT attempt the pseudo-Japanese speech. Thanks.  
The Firefly's Darkness  
By gamegurl mirai  
  
Ch. 1- A Simple Beginning  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"What the heck is THAT?" Yahiko grimaced at a steaming hot bowl of a brown, soupy substance with chunks of green that Kaoru handed to him.  
  
"Miso soup!" Kaoru ignored the boy's picky attitude as she handed out some bowls of today's lunch to Kenshin and Sanosuke.  
  
Sano blew steam across the surface before he sipped a taste of the soup. "Doesn't taste as bad as it looks."  
  
Kaoru narrowed her eyes as she took some out for herself. "I'll take that as a compliment," she said huffily.  
  
"Well, I'd say that your cooking has improved, that it has." Kenshin said, lifting the bowl gently up to his lips.  
  
"Yeah, it sure doesn't compare to your UGLINESS!" Yahiko sniggered devilishly before receiving a blow to the head with a hot soup ladel.  
  
"If you appreciate my cooking so much, then you can accompany Kenshin to the market." Kaoru commanded, placing the bent soup ladel on a table.  
  
"What?! Grocery shopping?! That's the most boring thing in the world!" Yahiko exclaimed, rubbing the lob on his head.  
  
Kaoru smiled in an accomplished manner as she proceeded to drink more soup.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"I hate grocery shopping." Yahiko mumbled, walking alongside Kenshin with his hands placed lazily behind his head.  
  
"It's not so bad," Kenshin smiled as he shifted the weight of a bag of rice to the opposite hand.  
  
"It is when you think of what it gets cooked into by Kaoru."  
  
"Hmm.leeks, rice, carrots." Kenshin counted on his free fingers as he stopped at a booth laden with fresh produce. He handed the bag of rice over to Yahiko as he fished out money to pay for a bag of vegetables.  
  
Just as he received it, they heard screaming voices approaching. The whole marketplace froze as someone rushed through, heavy footsteps of many feet following the runaway.  
  
"Get back here, wench! We want our money!" One of them, the largest (and probably the leader) yelled. The handful of men all wore English-style clothing, different from the traditional Japanese garments. Their hard, shiny shoes clacked on the ground after the one ahead of them, a female.  
  
She brushed past many people in her path,, almost toppling Kenshin and Yahiko as she fled for safety, turning down an alley between some structures of housing and stores. The men followed her.  
  
"What was that all about?" Yahiko mused, straightening up.  
  
Kenshin stared down the path they took. "Must be trouble," he replied sullenly. "Come on! I think she needs help."  
  
Yahiko trailed alongside the samurai as they proceeded down the alley, where a fence barred the pursued girl from freedom.  
  
"We got you now. Fork over the cash," the leader of the Englishmen said.  
  
"I told you! I already paid. Leave me alone! I don't have anything left!" the girl stated boldly,a bundle tied across her shoulders weighing her down. She didn't look as if she had the money, either. Her clothes were no different from Kenshin's, right down to the worn sandals. (except her kimono-like top was a lime green and she wore a wide yellow obi of silk around her waist)  
  
"We'll see about that," the head honcho grinned, pulling out a gleaming dagger rfom inside his suit pocket.  
  
"Hold it right there," came a placid voice.  
  
"What do you want?" one of the men asked gruffly, turning to face Kenshin and Yahiko on behalf of the others.  
  
"Leave her alone." Yahiko pulled out his bamboo sword.  
  
"Why should we, brat? It's none of your business, so butt out!" the leader said, grabbing the girl's long, raven hair, causing her to cry out.  
  
"We'll make it our business to teach you some manners, that we will. Manners," Kenshin drew his reverse blade sword, glistening in the light, "such as treating a lady with respect!"  
  
The blade shot forward and one man fell a split second later, as the sacks of rice and vegetables were placed alongside the wall.  
  
Each of the remaining men drew a variety of weapons: switchblades, knives, even a gun. Yahiko leapt forward and sent a blade flying into the wall as Kenshin struck the one with a gun before he even had a chance to cock it. A few moments later, each man, (except the leader, still clutching the girl by her hair) was bent and in a considerable amount of pain. The remaining man eyed Kenshin from under the brim of his hat and threw the girl aside as if she were a dirty stray dog.  
  
"I'll deal with you later," he spat, turning away from the girl and walking past Kenshin and Yahiko. His men collected themselves and stumbled after him.  
  
"Are you alright, miss?" Kenshin asked worriedly, assisting her in standing up like the good-mannered gentleman he is.  
  
"I s'ppose so.. Thank you, "she bowed gently and pulled out a fan to cool her heated face.  
  
"What was that all about?" Yahiko asked, stringing his sword away on his back.  
  
"Th-that's none of your business!" the girl stammered, closing her fan in order to smack the boy with it, which she did. Not too softly, either. "Kids these days. So nosy."  
  
Kenshin blinked exasperatedly as Yahiko rubbed the new bump on his head.  
  
"Well, I guess there's no harm in telling you. They've been after me for a week now. I had to borrow money from those slimy Brits in order to buy some clothing," she began, using the bundle as a visual aide. "I paid them back eventually; every last yen! But they lied and said I still owe then 1,000 more." she sighed. "I've been in hiding from them, but its hard to keep running on an empty stomach. I haven't eaten for 2 days."  
  
"We'd be happy to take you back to the Kamiya dojo," Kenshin offered. It was hard for him to resist helping her, being in his usual nature to help those who needed it. "Miss Kaoru would be happy to cook something for you, too."  
  
"Why don't YOU cook?" Yahiko prodded, a dismal expression on his face. "I think Kaoru's cooking has been enough torture," he commented bleakly.  
  
Smiling, the girl followed her rescuers down the road outside the alley after they grabbed the sacks of groceries. "I'm sure the food will be delicious."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"My name's Hotaru Kagero," she said, having handed her now-empty bowl to Kaoru after relating her short tale to the residents of the Kamiya dojo.  
  
The girl paused as the assistant manager poured a second helping of leftover lunch. The group was seated once more around the table, the girl being the only one eating a late meal. Hotaru seemed to be too hungry to mind the taste. Food is food, after all, and she ate it ravenously.  
  
"Kagero? As in Meisha Kagero, the famous geisha?" Kaoru inquired, her eyes open wide in amazement.  
  
"That's why you needed clothing. A kimono to be exact," Kenshin pointed out optimistically. "You must be a geisha as well."  
  
"Yep. You've got me all figured out, Mr. Kenshin," Hotaru laughed. Kaoru didn't like the way she smiled. It seemed all too eerie, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 PM instead of 7:30.  
  
"If she's related to you, then you should be able to get lots of jobs! You could've paid those guys out tenfold!" Yahiko exclaimed. It all seemed perfectly logical.  
  
Hotaru replied with a quiet stare at the ground.  
  
Silence.  
  
Hotaru stood up suddenly. "Would you mind if I used your kitchen? I'd like to make you all something."  
  
"Just make sure Kaoru doesn't help you cook," Sano warned, arms crossed with a smirk on his face in a usual posture.  
  
An instant later, a fist struck his head with great force. "I heard that!" Kaoru growled angrily.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Phew! That was longer than I hoped, but I didn't want to stop. The beginning seems a little cliché to me. I wrote that a month ago, so its outdated.  
  
Just review to lemme know what you think! Another chappy will be posted as soon as I type it up.  
  
Another note: Hotaru means firefly in Japanese. Kagero is a made up word. The title, Firefly's Darkness, (Hotaru=firefly.. get it?) came from a pretty song we're singing in choir, called "come in from the firefly darkness". Anything else needs explaining, feel free to ask! 


	2. Feigned Sweetness

Thanks for the review, watashi no baka! I really appreciate it. *cries* I hope more ppl will review in this chapter.  
  
Anyways, no more homework for now, so you guys get another chapter.  
  
Ch. 2- Feigned sweetness  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Ta da! Mochi," Hotaru grinned as she placed a plate, laden with pink sweet cakes in the shape of oval balls, on the table.  
  
Yahiko's mouth looked like a waterfall as he inhaled the sweet aroma. "MMMMMMMMMmmmmm." he sighed, his eyes dancing in bliss.  
  
"Don't drool all over 'em, kid," Sano advised, scoffing. He sat at the table with everyone else, and his arms were crossed as usual. "We like DRY mochi."  
  
The remainder three laughed as the boy shot a menacing glare at Sano, about to strangle the young man to death. However, Sano did not die a dishonorable death, as a conversation was struck up as the group ate the sweet cakes with delight. Just normal, daily conversation with some treats to be shared. It wasn't a long conversation, however, as the mochi soon disappeared from the plate, leaving a few sticky crumbs as its traces.  
  
"Those were so good!" Yahiko beamed, although regretting they were all finished. "Too bad there's no more left." he voiced his thoughts aloud to everyone.  
  
"Well, you did eat most of them with the way you gulp your food down without swallowing," Kenshin laughed good-naturedly.  
  
Yahiko grumbled; everyone seemed to be picking on him. "You have to make them again sometime, Miss Kagero," he said, trying to be over-nice. He was convinced she would make more if he begged enough.  
  
Hotaru seemed spaced for a moment, as if in thought, before blushing in realization and pulling out her fan. "If you like them so much, I'll make them whenever you like. I'm glad that you like my mochi. considering it's about the only thing I can cook," she smiled lightly behind her fan.  
  
"If you make those mochi everyday, you're welcome to stay here forever!" Kaoru exclaimed, her violet eyes shining like stars as she grabbed the geisha's free hand pleadingly. Kaoru must love sugar, since she was acting a little strange.  
  
"I'd like that. Thank you," Hotaru said humbly, replacing her fan back into her obi, smiling meekly.  
  
~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hollow sleep engulfed Sanosuke, clouding his mind. He couldn't sleep, tossing and turning in his futon. Deciding fresh air might help, he left Kenshin and Yahiko to sleep away in their joint room. It didn't help that Yahiko kicked people in his sleep.  
  
The panel slid gently closed as Sano put his slippers on. This being done, he sighed very deeply to imbibe the cool night air. He was careful to avoid making excessive sound, gliding alongside the dojo like a shadow. It was quite unwise to awake Kaoru. She would definitely have his head if her beauty sleep was disturbed. Yahiko quite agreed as well, once commenting that she needed all the beauty sleep she could get. XD  
  
He stopped at the corner, where he was going to turn around to leave through the main gate. Hotaru was sitting there on the step, her back to him, ruminating and gazing at the yellow crescent moon in the night sky. She didn't notice Sano until he sat down on the other side of the step.  
  
The young geisha nearly jumped up, startled at his unexpected appearance. "Oh, its just you, Sano," she whispered in a relieved tone. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"  
  
Sano didn't seem to be listening. He was occupied with the twinkling of the stars. After a few tacit moments, he spoke (or rather whispered) back, "You shouldn't be up so late."  
  
Hotaru turned her head to look at him, then down at the floor shyly. "I-I couldn't sleep," she replied, fumbling with her long hair. ".I'm assuming you can't either?"  
  
Sano smirked as he closed his eyes. "I can never get sleep with Yahiko's snoring," he remarked dryly.  
  
Hotaru smiled inwardly. "Do you. want some water or something? I think I remember where the kitchen is and."  
  
"Don't bother. I was on my way out for a walk anyway," Sano answered, standing up and descending the last two steps.  
  
".with a stop at the local sake joint?" Hotaru inquired after his retreating back. He stopped short in his tracks, taken aback.  
  
Right on the mark.  
  
Sano cast a side glance at her out of the corner of his eye before walking on, waving a hand in bidding farewell. He thrust his hands quietly in his pockets as he slipped out of the gate.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Leaving? Already?" Kaoru asked in disbelief, clutching the broom's handle tightly. It was late morning on a beautiful day, complete with a cloudless sky and chirping birds. They stood out in the front of the dojo, interrupted from their chores.  
  
"Yes. I'm very sorry if I had caused you any trouble," Hotaru replied sullenly, unable to make eye contact with either Kaoru or Kenshin.  
  
Yahiko paused from his daily chores as Sano paused from neglecting his.  
  
"Don't be. You never caused any trouble at all," Kenshin stated, once again smiling.  
  
'He's always smiling. Doesn't he have any other emotions?' Hotaru thought to herself in anxiety.  
  
"But why so soon?" Yahiko interrupted, throwing down his floor-cleaning rug. "We'll never have those delicious mochi again!" he exclaimed as if doom was befalling the world.  
  
Hotaru laughed as she shook her head. "Don't worry: I made some for you earlier this morning."  
  
"Well then, goodbye!" Yahiko rushed off, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. Kaoru muttered something that distinctly sounded like "Greedy kid!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The servant walked nervously into the darkened room, bowing. "S-sir, Master Gohei is here to see you." he said to the shady man in an extravagant chair. His face could not be seen in the gloom of the dark room. He liked it dark. And he wore a very expensive English suit.  
  
"Send him in," the man said, flicking his burnt cigar into an ashtray positioned on the glass coffee table at his side.  
  
A few smoke rings were lazily blown, as if he was an expert at it. The servant, meanwhile, had backed out of the room and was soon replaced by a more confident man a moment later.  
  
"Good evening, Smithers," Gohei said, closing the panel with a damaged left hand as he clutched a briefcase in the other. His eyes gleamed under the wide-brimmed hat he wore. "Has the operation been carried out yet?"  
  
"Patience is a virtue, my friend," the shaded man smiled, offering a cigar to Gohei. "All is going as planned. His head will be on your doorstep in no less than two days."  
  
"Good, good." Gohei grinned evilly as he sat and placed the briefcase on the coffee table. "I've brought half the payment with me," he began. "In yen, of course. British pounds are of no use here."  
  
The Englishman lit himself another cigar. "Very well. Pay the rest whenever you like. And rest assured."  
  
Gohei looked up at the glint in the other man's teeth, gleaming among the contrasting darkness in the room.  
  
".my assassin never fails."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dun dun dunn!!  
  
Sorry to leave ya'll on a cliffhanger.. if it IS a cliffhanger.. anyways, I didn't wanna make this chappy too long, so there ya are. And yes, what's REALLY going on will be revealed in the next chapter.  
  
Please review! More reviews= more confidence in myself= more updates due to popular demand! Thanks and take a cookie on your way out!!! *offers plate of cookies. and mochi..* O_o 


	3. The Assassin

For some reason, this site doesn't display this story at all in the RK page!! *shakes fist* maybe it'll fix itself later?  
  
Whatever. Finally: chapter 3. I'm sorry. My cable got cut off, so I haven't watched RK in months and I lost my motivation. T-T It seems I always have some sorry excuse, don't I?? Well, I got to watch an episode on vacation in Motel 6, and I must say, THE NEW ANIMATION IS ALL WEIRD! I liked it before!! *cries*  
  
Note: if I make any mistakes (except typos. I'm talking the names of certain objects and etc.), please lemme know so I can fix them in upcoming chapters. I'm trying to make this as realistic as possible, and it helps if I know the names of things. *dunce hat*  
  
------------  
  
Chapter 3- The Assassin  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Night had befallen the Kamiya dojo many hours past. The sky was a hazy midnight blue, and the moon and stars contrasted it in their twinkling and shining. It would have been all too peaceful. if Yahiko wasn't snoring so loudly. But it made the job easier for the shadow creeping along the dojo. Right past the kitchen, past Kaoru's bedroom. the person's silhouette was only clear when steeped in the moonlight for a moment outside the shared room of Kenshin, Yahiko, and Sanosuke. It was a she, stepping as gracefully as a cat as she padded over toward the panel barring inside from outside. Her long formal kimono seemed a regal green studded with images of swooping cranes, and she had wisely avoided the clunk of sandals.  
  
The panel was coaxed open gently, revealing Sano once again gone on a "walk", leaving Kenshin and Yahiko sleeping peacefully. How conveniently they were placed; Kenshin lay closer to the panel, and laid parallel too! Too easy.  
  
The woman stooped at his side, a long dagger clenched nervously in between her painted-scarlet lips. This dagger was transferred to her hands, which immediately trembled as she gazed upon the face of her next victim.  
  
Each one was the same as the last. Each haunted her thoughts and dreams as she slayed another. There was no running.  
  
No one could run.  
  
This face in particular hypnotized her fearful eyes, her breathing becoming unsteady as each previous face flew before her eyes.  
  
No. There was no turning back! She fought the haunting profiles and gripped the dagger tighter. One thrust. That's all she would need.  
  
One thrust and the warm blood would spew from the wound in his chest. Spew like anguished cries from his mouth as he coughed up blood.  
  
The blade was stopped in midair with a warm hand that shot up like lightning. Kenshin's amethyst eyes flew open, gazing at the painted face before his. Her eyes were lined with black, her lips crimson, a face as pale as a ghost, hair of the darkest hue tied up on a knot.  
  
The geisha stared in horror back at those eyes. She would be seeing them for the rest of her life! His eyes were clearer than a crystal. She was sure he could see right through her.  
  
"I-I can't take it anymore..." she choked, dropping the dagger like it burned her slender hands.  
  
Kenshin's face wore a heavily puzzled expression as he silently watched her stumble out of the room and out the dojo. Was that Hotaru?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sanosuke eyed the other people and his surroundings as he put down a drained saucer on the tray in front of him, pushing aside a bottle resembling a vase [what's this called?? XD]. Several drunkards were there, singing to the old traditional drinking games that sailors often played. His little compartment [like the Akabeko restaurant!!] was just as gray and dark as the rest, lit only by a small Chinese lantern in the corner. He called for a waitress girl to fetch more sake and leaned back in wait. The Nightlife wasn't very quiet, but it was a place to take one's mind off things. It was a place to escape the quiet of the daytime.  
  
The front door opened as another sake-deprived customer walked in. Usually, no one paid any heed to a stranger, too absorbed by their own conversations, thoughts, and problems. But with a few steps into the store, this person received many cat calls from drunken men.  
  
It was that same geisha that attempted murder, ignoring the cries of the others. She stopped short as she found Sano.  
  
At first, he didn't recognize the geisha in the dim light of the lantern's red glow. Her face was stained as if tears had been wiped away as they spilled, the black liner was smeared, and the lip-paint was wearing off and fading. "Hotaru?" he inquired as she sat opposite him and his tray.  
  
The girl sighed as she poured herself sake in Sano's used saucer.  
  
"What's with the getup?" Sano surveyed. He received no answer, not even a glance into his brown eyes. Seeing as Hotaru was drinking out of his saucer, he gulped down sake directly from the bottle in frustration before putting it down.  
  
A few quiet moments between the two before Sano decided to speak once more. "You shouldn't be out so late," he stated calmly.  
  
"Why? Are you worried about me?" Hotaru asked in reply, tilting her head in a soft manner. Sano looked away hurriedly, trying to regain his composure. "I can take care of myself. Besides, Sano, you're out late just as I am."  
  
Sano opened his mouth to protest the difference, before he was interrupted with a question of his age.  
  
"19," he said gruffly as she finished off the rest of the sake straight from the bottle.  
  
Hotaru smiled in a smug manner. "That makes me one year older. So don't tell me what to do, little boy."  
  
Sano shook his head in slight disapproval, ignoring the last remark about being little. The waitress then came with more sake in a tray, which she deposited next to the current one.  
  
"Did you want anything else, sir?" the waitress asked Sano with a smile, who shook his head in the negative. "And your girlfriend.?" she added hastily.  
  
"More sake," Hotaru replied, her cheeks red as she handed her the empty bottle.  
  
After the waitress had slinked off, and half the new bottle was empty, Sano leaned forward, his eyes narrowed in disbelief. "How much do you drink?!"  
  
Hotaru paused from sipping. "Not enough."  
  
Much time was passed. Bottles were emptied as well, with Hotaru doing most of the drinking. Sano decided to keep his remarks to himself; Hotaru was getting drunk anyway, so it wouldn't have made much of a difference.  
  
The bill ended up to be outrageous. Sano could only afford 3 bottles at the time, so the rest was put on his tab. A drunk Hotaru didn't make things any better; she couldn't stand still without swaying like Jell-o on a subway train. Sano had to drag her out of the bar, and they didn't get far before he grew annoyed of her slow pace.  
  
Her face shown red as a beet through the faded parts of white on her face.  
  
"(hic) Shanoooo. where we (hic) goin'?" Hotaru asked, smiling with the innocent air of a child, as they stopped in the middle of the road.  
  
"Home," Sano replied in an angry tone and he turned to face the geisha before picking her up in his arms. He could get back to the dojo faster that way, instead of dawdling around, dragging a drunken girl who liked to smell the roses too often. Hotaru whined as she was slung over his shoulder.  
  
"NOOOOoooooOOooo! Take me (hic) back, pleeeeeezzz! That man will be (hic) at home. Murderer. murderer! MURDERER!!" she cried slowly, loud enough to wake up all of Tokyo. Her weeping and struggles caused Sano to stand her up in front of him, as straight as her loss of balance would let her.  
  
"Hotaru, listen." he whispered, holding her head in his palms so she wouldn't look away. He stared into her dark eyes that mirrored his own. His face was very close to hers, and his spiky hair that hung in the front of his headband was tickling the top of Hotaru's head. "There IS NO murderer."  
  
Then who was the girl that stood in front of him?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
AHHHH. a whole hour. I should be sleeping rite now!  
  
This chapter was so serious~ jeez. There will be humor in the next chapter, though. Just a bit. I think. *shuffles papers*  
  
Review, review, review! You KNOW u wanna. 


	4. Deception

Yeah. About time, I know.  
  
Go download the Rurouni Kenshin "particle man" music video NOW! XD Makes me lmao!!  
  
The Firefly's Darkness  
  
Ch. 4- Deception  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Hotaru's drunken speech echoed through the street, with Sano muttering for her to 'shut up' occasionally. At last, he stopped in front of the Kamiya Dojo and looked around before deciding to enter.  
  
"Shano, I dun' feel so good," Hotaru moaned as Sanosuke slowly opened the gate. She had been riding piggyback, with her arms wrapped around his neck and the white makeup rubbing off her cheek onto his.  
  
He slipped inside, only to find Keshin waiting at the doorstep of the house in front. His back was leaning against a support post of the roof; it looked like he had been waiting patiently for quite a while. The two exchanged glances before Hotaru had to be put down in order to vomit in the bushes.  
  
She cried as the acid burnt her mouth. The fence would have to be cleaned in the morning.  
  
Sano crept off to the kitchen for a jug of much-needed water and Kenshin kept Hotaru from staggering as she threw up. The sight of it didn't knot Kenshin's insides at all; he had seen worse before. The water was brought as the vomiting ceased.  
  
"Are you alright now?" Kenshin asked the geisha as he forced her to sit on the steps. Hotaru didn't answer; she avoided Kenshin's eyes and refused to drink the water he held to her lips by burying her face into Sano's sleeve.  
  
"She's just like a child," Sano commented as he pulled her away and poured the water down her throat.  
  
"I think some sleep would do her good, that it would," Kenshin announced, standing up.  
  
Sano raised an eyebrow in concern. "And risk waking the mistress of evil demons?" he asked, referring to Kaoru.  
  
Kenshin looked at him in horror, imagining a very angry Kaoru, armed with a sharp sword, wicked flames dancing behind her, and the dramatic background music playing a tauntingly evil tune. "I-I think we could handle one night without a futon to sleep in." he said. So they brought Hotaru to their room.  
  
Hotaru protested little when Kenshin was around. She was put into the sleeping place next to Yahiko without mumbling a word, and she fell asleep immediately, regardless of being fully dressed in formal garb. Yahiko, being the naturally heavy sleeper he is, had rolled over and found the girl's rump to be a comfortable pillow.  
  
"So much for the innocence of a child." Sano grumbled, wishing he could smack the boy upside the head.  
  
Kenshin slowly took a seat across the room from Sanosuke, each of them leaning against the wall to rest. They sighed at the same time, then began a conversation that was more like a story-telling.  
  
". and then she left, leaving the dagger right where you're sitting." Kenshin finished his side of the story, his bright eyes wandering to the dagger.  
  
Sano eyed the dagger curiously. There wasn't a sheath around anywhere. The edge was smooth and sharp, the handle was as plain as the strip of fabric wrapped around it to absorb moisture and create an easy grip. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, and told Kenshin about his own encounter with the geisha. And about just how much sake she had drunken.  
  
"This doesn't quite fit in with the story she told us earlier," Kenshin pointed out. "She was lying the whole time."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The unfortunate fence was currently being washed clean of stomach acid by Kenshin, armed with a scrub brush and several buckets of water. It was morning once again, much to the dismay of those who wanted to sleep in. Kaoru passed by Kenshin and peered for a second at what he was up to. Bad idea. She looked away in disgust and decided not to ask. Instead, she marched over to wake her student for his daily lessons, and Sano as well, just to annoy him.  
  
She slid the panel open with great force, causing it to slam into the wall. "Rise and shine, boys!" she sang cheerfully to Sano and Yahiko. Her head tilted in puzzlement as she noticed a cranky Sano at the side of the room. 'If Sano's there, and Kenshin's outside.' she said to herself, 'then who's that next to Yahiko?'  
  
"Go 'way." came a muffled voice from under the covers, sleepy and annoyed.  
  
"Morning already?" Yahiko yawned and stretched as her sat up. Sano smiled in a smug manner.. This was going to be humorous.  
  
"Yahiko, who's that?"  
  
the boy blinked and scratched his head, still sleepy. "Kenshin, duh!" he replied as if Kaoru had suddenly turned stupid or miraculously got amnesia overnight.  
  
"But Kenshin."  
  
Yahiko punched the sleeping lump irritably. "Wake up already, Kenshin!" he bellowed.  
  
"Yoooooooooooooooowwww!" a voice screeched; definitely not Kenshin. A disheveled geisha was popped awake, crying in pain.  
  
Kaoru and Yahiko screamed all to loudly, startled and shocked.  
  
Shaking and clutching a pillow, Kaoru cowered in fear. "Wh-who're you?!"  
  
The geisha didn't reply, instead just rubbing the forming bruise on her arm.  
  
"You really are thick, Kaoru," Sano commented, yawning. "Don't you recognize her?"  
  
Kaoru glared at Sano, about to hit him. Yahiko squinted at the smeared face of the geisha.  
  
"Miss Hotaru?"  
  
The girl nodded timidly, but was interrupted as Kaoru proceeded to choke Sano to death as reprisal for the offensive comment.  
  
Not much more was said after that, with the exception of a heated argument between Kaoru and Sanosuke. Kenshin had already put breakfast on the table and was waiting as patiently as he usually does, sitting quietly with his hands folded at the table as everyone else filed in, having washed up for breakfast.  
  
It was a modest breakfast. "Riceballs again?" Yahiko complained, fed up with boring food. What he really wanted was mochi.  
  
Hotaru didn't start eating when everyone else did; she made a haphazard excuse and wobbled out of the room. Kaoru gulped a mouthful of tea as she curiously watched Hotaru leave. And, as soon as she did, Kaoru began asking questions.  
  
"Is there something I should know about?" she asked, eyeing Kenshin with a suspicion arising.  
  
"Kenshin's got a new girlfriend!" Yahiko sang, grinning wolfishly.  
  
"ORO?!" [hahaha! I used the famous word from the un-dubbed version!! XD] News to Kenshin; he looked quite shocked at Yahiko's comment. Kaoru didn't look too pleased either, because she silently threatened to beat up both of them with only a fierce glare and balled fists. However, she returned to her tea after scaring them thoroughly.  
  
"She got drunk," Sano said, at the exact moment Kaoru was intaking tea. It was sputtered out all over Kenshin and Yahiko, who sat shocked and dripping for a few moments.  
  
"Y-you did that on purpose!" Yahiko pointed a finger accursedly at Sano, who laughed at Kaoru's victims.  
  
Naturally, Kenshin had to explain the attempted murder story (all over again) thus far, and how Sano had ran into her at the sake joint. So, that left them waiting for Hotaru's part. She crept into the room silently and was seated quickly. Also, she had changed out of the fancy kimono and was wearing her typical daily outfit now.  
  
Everyone stared at her expectantly.  
  
"I'm sorry. Where do you want me to start?"  
  
"How about 'Why you tried to MURDER Kenshin?!'" Kaoru fumed, with her eyes narrowed and peering above a wrinkled nose.  
  
"Start from the beginning of it all," Kenshin suggested, over the forming crowd of Kaoru's angry glares. "Who you're involved with, how this came to be, and why you pose as a geisha."  
  
"I don't pose as a geisha!" Hotaru burst out angrily, hands fisted. "That's all I ever wanted to do. just. be a geisha." she paused, and sighed, trying to get her anger under control.  
  
"I never had a father, and I spent my early life with my mother. We traveled often, living off the money she made from rich clients. Then she passed away. I was sent to a small geisha training school in Edo.  
  
"I formed a dream there: I would become as famous as my mother was," she explained half-heartedly. It sounded as if every word pained her. "I failed a lot of the basics; Tea Ceremonies ruined, I knotted the obi's instead of creating elaborate bows. I couldn't even make rice properly! The only thing I could do properly was play the koto.  
  
"I never got a single job when I left the school. No one wanted me. But. I didn't give up. In doing so, I met Master William. He was an Englishman from a rich family, and he hired me as a servant in his manor. I then began losing hope of ever becoming a geisha, after working for him for about a year.  
  
~Flashback, Hotaru's POV~  
  
I hurried about the kitchen with the other two maids, piling teakettles, cups, saucers, biscuits, and whatnot into the trays they were holding nervously. Each tray was rattling from their shaky hands, unable to support the weight for long. I ignored them and picked up my own burden and we crept out of the kitchen into what Master called a "drying room", where guests were entertained. These guests were as sinister as they come, but it was not my place to speak such things.  
  
The maids and I served these people. The maids didn't seem to be listening to the important conversation. I should have been among them, but my ears listened anyway to what one man said.  
  
"If such a business was opened, you could make a fortune!"  
  
"I agree, but what if the government meddles in the affair?" replied another.  
  
The third guest scoffed. "Nonsense. The government could easily be bribed into 'forgetting'. But the main problem is so common nowadays."  
  
"And what would that be?" asked the first man, whose teacup I had finished refilling with the contents of a steaming kettle.  
  
"Finding someone who is capable of doing it."  
  
At these words, all in a split second, the man with the freshly refilled tea felt the cup slip from his hands. It didn't spill, for I caught it on my fingertips before it shattered to wet pieces of china. Not a drop spilled onto the expensive oriental rug on the floor.  
  
"Oh, I'm highly doubtful of that," Master smirked, grinning wickedly at the cup in my hands.  
  
~Flash to present~  
  
". And so, I was trained in many styles of fighting, honing my skills until I could breathe with the wind, disappear among shadows, and vanish like a ghostly spirit. The geisha became a mere disguise for an assassin."  
  
Hotaru trailed off, her voice on a numbed tone.  
  
"What caused you to quit all of a sudden?" Sanosuke asked. It already seemed as if he knew the answer.  
  
".It's hard to sleep anymore. I get nightmares from those faces, watching me. Sake provides an escape, even if it is only temporary." She held her head in her hands despairingly.  
  
"May I be excused?" Kaoru said suddenly, then without waiting for an answer, got up and left.  
  
"What's with her?" Yahiko raised an eyebrow in a nosy manner as he peered out the open panel.  
  
"If I were you, I wouldn't ask," Sano advised. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.  
  
Kenshin nodded in agreement; he knew all too well.  
  
They heard footsteps coming back. It was Kaoru, who burst into the room, holding what looked to be an arrow with a slip of paper attached to it. She gasped for breath as if she had sprinted back and handed the note to Hotaru.  
  
"This is yours, I presume?" she said, rather than asked, with an expressionless face. "It was shot into the dojo's wall," she explained briefly.  
  
Kenshin glanced at the odd letters on the page. "That must be English," he pointed out bluntly. "I've seen it before on an English vessel."  
  
"Jane," Hotaru muttered, crumpling the paper in her hand uneasily after quickly reading it. She stood up and said hastily "I've got to go."  
  
No one had time to protest as she strode off to the exit. Upon reaching it, she paused.  
  
"Don't follow me."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Dun dun dunnnn!! (yet another long chapter.)  
  
I believe one (or two?) reviewers asked me if Megumi or Dr.. what's-his- face. was gonna be in it. To be honest, I forgot about them until the story was running along nicely. Yeah, I'm stupid. I guess I could put them in later on and make up something. XD Suggestions, anyone?  
  
Someone also asked if there was gonna be Hotaru/Sano romance. Well, that's what I planned a long, long time ago, but now I'm not so sure myself. Hey, it could change if YOU want it to. It's what the people want! POWER TO THE PEOPLE! XD  
  
SO, YEAH! HIT THAT REVIEW BUTTON AND I'LL STOP TYPING IN CAPSLOCK!  
  
PS- FLAMES=FUN! IT'S A WIN/WIN SITUATION! :D 


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